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Agen Orange Claim

Got a letter/handbook also from the VA about signing up for VA medical Care (I have a family doctor and have had her for 12 years). Also enclosed with the booklet was a form letter stating that the VAs decision was final and I had a year to appeal. No idea just what their decision was told recently I'd been denied compensation for my Type II diabetes dated back to 2007 of which I have no reccollection what-so-ever of having applied for. Been totally disabled from a heart attack in 1995 & another in 2009 so one can only wonder just what is going on. Was told that a decision would be determined the end of may or first portion of June so am still awaiting their almighty thought process being completed. Makes one wonder to say the least how they operate. JMHO

ltr from VA re: employment

Originally Posted by kaelobo

I am 100and p&t, received a letter yesterday from the VA asking if i was employed the last 12months if so list the employers and they will adjust my rating no i have not work, iam just wondering if these type of letters are normal,kinda of got me freak cause i just freak out over anything that is a threat to me , any input would help me to think its all good, s/f

If you don't mind me asking is part of your rating based on your being unemployable?

Hmmm... I submitted my claim for PTSD/Undiagnosed Illness (Desert Storm) in March 2011. By August I hadn't heard anything back. I contacted my VSO and they told me that the waiting period was between 8 months to 2 years. I contacted my local Senator and had him file an inquiry. That sped things up, but the quality suffered. They granted me 30% for my PTSD and deferred everything else (chronic sinus infections, headaches, joint pain, bi-lateral muscular deffiencies in my legs). By April 2012 I finally got a letter back stating that they were denying my claim for Undiagnosed Illness due to the fact that there was nothing in my military medical files indicating that I had incurred these problems while serving in the Corps. I had supplied them with my medical records dating back for the past 10 years indicating my ongoing and increasing problems.
I filed my NOD regarding the PTSD. During the past few months I have been attempting to work, but have been unable. I am having my employer submit letters indicating my inability to work. During this time my VSO quit and went over to another agency. So, I'm basically handling everything myself. I still have the American Legion as my VSO, but they are short-handed and I have NEVER heard anything from them.
Regardless, I'm forging ahead and plan on taking my claim as far forward as I need to. My PTSD hasn't gotten any better despite the several medications. The meds help with the symptoms, but from what I know, there is no cure for PTSD. The other claims, I could care less about. As a Marine I am willing to suck it up and deal with them. It's the PTSD that has ruined my life. I have lost my job, and have had to go to family counseling because of this sh*t.
There is hope though. I honestly believe that I will win this fight with or without help.

This report has hurt me(as it does whenever I hear of another one of my Brother's giving his life), but has also helped me more than anything has in my past. I cannot thank you enough for writing it for all to read. May God bless you with comfort for you pain and give you peace for the rest of your life down here. God, Country, Corps. Semper Fi...

Had my physical a couple of weeks ago about my Agent Orange claim on my heart and my diabetes problems. Doctor said I qualified (whatever that meant) and also found a serious A-Fib condition. Saw my cardiologist and he's going to do a procedure on the 7th of December to try and get my heart rythym regulated. Right now the top (my heart) is just fluttering and I feel tired constantly and winded. Scar tissue from my original heart attack is still present so hopefully, we can get my claim approved without too much more delay as it's been over a year so far. Was supposed to have had a decision back in May/June of this year, but we know how the government works don't we? Hurry up and wait as usual. Total BS if you ask me. Seems some civilian can't put his coffee cup and donut down long enough to do the deed.

Looking for help from anyone

I really appreciate the fact that a Service Rep would invite more work than you already have! I'm in TN, my regional office is Nashville, so we're a good piece apart. But I would like to take you up on your offer. I've had trouble with the VA for years when I put in a claim. Most of the time I get so sick I can't even follow thru with sending them paperwork(that I am not able to get so far, anyway)and they give me an increase for things I don't understand, but deny my PTSD claim due to not having enough "stressor points". I was sent to a shrink in Johnson City, TN to the Mountain Home VA Center. She was more interested in watching for her lunch date than listening to me. By the time I got to the first "stressor point", her ride must have shown because she had been looking out the window(not from her seat, but standing by the window)and said "I think we've done enough" and ended our session!In 1971, while stationed at Cherry Point MCAS in Havelock, N.C., I fell asleep at a desk while looking up the procedure to remove and replace a part off a C-47 cargo plane. I was new to the squadron and this type of plane, so I followed SOP. I woke up being cursed and kicked on the cement floor of the metal shop! I fought my way up and asked what was going on. I was told I fell asleep, probably because I was "partying all night and couldn't even stay awake to work". I had been in bed by 11:30PM the night before. The NCO in charge of my section told me I was going to Sick Bay and if nothing was wrong with me, I was going to be court-martialed for malingering! I couldn't even stand in line at Sick Bay, so some men held my place while I lay down against a tree. A brigadier general walk toward us and everyone jumped to "attention", except me. It was so hard for me to get up off the ground the general was within ten feet of me and looked like he was going to chew me out. When he saw my face, he said "as you were, Marine". I must've looked pretty bad. After corpsmen and doctors saw me, they put me on ten days bed-rest and said I had mononucleosis. About two weeks later I was ordered to Sick Bay. The docs told me I didn't have mono. I asked what it was that caused this incident. They didn't know. After getting orders for Okinawa, I once again was put on ten day bed-rest due to same problem. I've had to deal with this every since 1971. Yet, the VA does not seem to understand my problem. They called it a "sleep problem" when I put in claim for it. They thought I was having trouble going to sleep(which I do go thru a few times a year), but they didn't understand I was talking about this problem of not being able to stay awake. I had a wreck once while driving my wife to work when we couldn't find her a ride any other way. I've lost out on jobs, lost jobs, and have had problems with my marriage due to this "unknown"(as the Navy docs called it) condition. I've sent four letters to VA explaining in detail what I'm filing claim for. They had even put down that I was filing for sleep apnea, which I have NEVER even mentioned in my claims. I also had three service numbers while serving my four years in Corps. I can't get them to understand that, either. I've tried to get my medical records and I was sent a copy of the physical given on day we left Detroit for San Diego, CA. I'm sorry for writing so much. The DAV reps we have here don't really seem to be on vets side. It's like they're working for the VA, instead. Thanks for your time and I hope I haven't wasted your time.

Well another marriage has floated under the bridge. I do not think they will be a third!!!!! I will just sit here with my dogs and watch TV and eat. The bad thing is she left me with all the bills. Most of the things I owe for is things that she wanted and like a fool I got them for her and now she is gone and I have them. Not a good time to put things up for sale. The last one took me five years to break even - may be ten years on this one. Went to the North Carolina service officer and signed the paperwork that I was seperated so the can take her off my VA Disability payments.

When I came back from Iraq in 2007 with the Army National Guard, we were assisted in making VA claims by a group of former servicemen. They said they wanted everyone to fill out the paperwork so that there would be a paper trail in case we wanted to file for claims in the future. I took their advice. When I got back home, I received a letter from the VA to visit the VA Hospital in Memphis for a physical. Afterwards, I was given some medication for back pain and ointment for a rash I picked up in Iraq. I have remained in the VA system for the past 5 years getting a physical and other treatment on a regular basis. A couple of weeks ago my VA doctor said he wanted to look into my civilian doctors diagnosis of high blood sugar. He said that according to the symptoms I described, I might be "glucose intolerant due to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. He said it was basically the same as diabetes except the cause is external. He asked me if I served in an area where Agent Orange was used. How do I prove that? Does the military have records of where it was used? How do I prove I was there? I was stationed at Danang Air Base with HQ 1st MAW. I was a courier for part of my time and made the "midnight run" from Danang to Red Beach to FLC through Happy Valley to 1st MarDiv, down the road past Freedom Hill to I Corps HQ on the river and back to the air base. How do I prove Agent Orange was present and how do I prove I was in those places on many occasions since it does not appear in any of my military records?

Funny how none of this was recorded from my early days, yet VA seems overly concerned about it now. What else could have affected my health from Iraq...exposure to sand storms...the burning of oil from a near by smoke stack...the non-potable water we used for bathing and washing vehicles? Is Agent Orange both a fast and slow working agent on health?

Anyway, how do I get proof? Will VA actually help? If it is true, I would like my fair share of help. If not, I am sure I can get by just like everyone else, but it would be nice to see an increase in my military pension. I guess time will tell.

When I came back from Iraq in 2007 with the Army National Guard, we were assisted in making VA claims by a group of former servicemen. They said they wanted everyone to fill out the paperwork so that there would be a paper trail in case we wanted to file for claims in the future. I took their advice. When I got back home, I received a letter from the VA to visit the VA Hospital in Memphis for a physical. Afterwards, I was given some medication for back pain and ointment for a rash I picked up in Iraq. I have remained in the VA system for the past 5 years getting a physical and other treatment on a regular basis. A couple of weeks ago my VA doctor said he wanted to look into my civilian doctors diagnosis of high blood sugar. He said that according to the symptoms I described, I might be "glucose intolerant due to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. He said it was basically the same as diabetes except the cause is external. He asked me if I served in an area where Agent Orange was used. How do I prove that? Does the military have records of where it was used? How do I prove I was there? I was stationed at Danang Air Base with HQ 1st MAW. I was a courier for part of my time and made the "midnight run" from Danang to Red Beach to FLC through Happy Valley to 1st MarDiv, down the road past Freedom Hill to I Corps HQ on the river and back to the air base. How do I prove Agent Orange was present and how do I prove I was in those places on many occasions since it does not appear in any of my military records?

Funny how none of this was recorded from my early days, yet VA seems overly concerned about it now. What else could have affected my health from Iraq...exposure to sand storms...the burning of oil from a near by smoke stack...the non-potable water we used for bathing and washing vehicles? Is Agent Orange both a fast and slow working agent on health?

Anyway, how do I get proof? Will VA actually help? If it is true, I would like my fair share of help. If not, I am sure I can get by just like everyone else, but it would be nice to see an increase in my military pension. I guess time will tell.

According to the information I was given when I applied for the VA's Agent Orange registry, merely serving in Vietnam is considered to have exposed you to AO. I didn't think I served in an area that had heavy AO use. I have since learned that it was actually one of the heaviest exposure areas due to the use of the base as a loading point for dispersal aircraft and heavy use around the base (Bien Hoa in III Corps).

Type II Diabetes is considered an AO caused disease for Vietnam vets.

Check with your VA hospital service officer and see if you can get on the AO Registry. It involves a physical, blood work, and a medical/combat zone history. I was OK at the time of my AO physical (about four years ago), but I'm starting to have blood sugar issues now.

If the AO physical determines you have Type II Diabetes, you can start the paperwork to get it declared service connected and receive the appropriate compensation.